PRIA launches first industry-specific job board

Tuesday, March 31st, 2015 - Public Relations Institute of Australia

The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) has collaborated with JobTarget to launch PR Central, the first online bespoke job board that specialises in public relations and communication jobs in Australia.

PR Central went live today as a hub for all industry vacancies, giving candidates the ability to post an anonymous resume and create new job alerts, as a way of announcing their availability in the marketplace. Employers can post a job, internship or freelance advert, or browse the resume bank to find the right candidate. Organisations can also post tenders to a refined audience, which includes access to Australia’s 100-plus leading consultancies and the wider PR market.

Discussing what led to this new offering, Leila Henderson, PRIA South Australian President, said, “PRIA’s main demographic is female between 40-44 years of age (75%) and we identified work/life balance as a key challenge that our membership faces.

“PR Central offers a range of project-based, part-time and full-time positions, which will give greater flexibility and opportunity to those looking to get back into the workforce.”

According to the 2014 Better Life Index by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “Despite ranking overall as a fantastic place to live, Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to work/life balance.”

PwC recently released the results of their research into female millennials in the workplace, as part of International Women's Day. They found that 40% of the global workforce is female yet 25% of female millennials do not feel there are senior female role models that resonate with them at their current employer.

PRIA National President Mike Watson said that PR Central addresses a number of key areas currently affecting membership.

“Our regional members have requested more support in non-metropolitan areas, and PR Central is just the start of that ongoing support,” Mr Watson said. “We are a national body, and it doesn’t matter if you are part of our many councils across the country, or a professional communicator based in Sydney, Mildura, Broome or Alice Springs, we are finding solutions to support our members.”

Birgit Schonafinger, Director, Fishbowl PR, based in Albury, Victoria, who beta-tested the site, said the job board would be a great resource for consultancies.

“Consultancies often look for freelance help from the many sole operators out there,” Ms Schonafinger said. “It’s a great way to offer work that can be carried out remotely to a qualified pool of providers.”

Mr Watson said the decision to collaborate with JobTarget was an easy one.

“To establish the new facility, PRIA collaborated with JobTarget, a world leader in the provision of job boards, with 1,300 associations already using the product,” he said.

“After reviewing the data behind other associations using the product, referencing the influence it has had in countries like the USA and on other industries here at home, it was important to introduce the product to the Australian PR market. This is a finely-targeted recruitment tool compared to commercial providers such as SEEK, and the return on investment is clear.”

The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) is the national industry body for public relations and communication professionals in Australia. PRIA represents and provides professional support and recognition to over 4,000 practitioners and more than 100 consultancies nationwide. Since 1949, it has been PRIA's role to promote and enhance professional communication to the broader community. PRIA adheres to the highest standards of ethical practice and represent public relations practitioner’s best interests.

About Job Target

JobTarget powers 1,700 private-labelled niche job boards and career centres. Many of the world’s leading associations, publishers and companies rely on JobTarget to become their industry’s top destination to find relevant jobs or hire qualified talent. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, JobTarget is the global job board leader. ##